


"What if?" - A Collection of Harry Potter Short-Stories

by Dark_Passenger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22105564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Passenger/pseuds/Dark_Passenger
Summary: Every chapter is a new story in the Magical World of Hogwarts.Every chapter is a new story of how it could have been if things were different as we know them.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	"What if?" - A Collection of Harry Potter Short-Stories

The Second Wizarding War had been won and, Voldemort was gone for good this time.  
Hogwarts was still destroyed and, the bodies of those who fell fighting the Dark Lord had just been buried. Remus, Tonks, Fred, and many others could now be mourned, even Snape.  
After collecting Severus Snape's tears and put them on the Pensieve located in Dumbledore's office, Harry Potter ran to his friends in the school's Great Hall.  
Before reaching both Ron and Hermione, almost every survivor tried to get to Harry and hug him. He didn't feel like celebrating at that moment, as every inch of his body was aching, and his glasses had broke once more. He didn't have much luck with them.  
—Thank you, Mr. Potter. —Minerva McGonagall put her hand on Harry's shoulder gently and smiled at him, but she was sad as well. Hogwarts will never be the same after this day.  
Harry quickly turned back and broke down in tears on his former teacher's shoulder.  
— What will we do now, Professor? — Harry asked sobbing.  
— We move on. — She answered. — We'll return Hogwarts to where Professor Dumbledore fought it to be.  
Suddenly, Hermione was running at her friend so fast that not even Ron was able to level her.  
Hermione hugged Potter so tight that he grunted with pain.  
She suddenly apologized, realizing how painful it must have felt, and he smiled at her.  
— Hermione can be stronger than Voldemort, eh? — Ron said.  
Shut up, Ronald — Hermione Granger didn't take her eyes off Harry at any moment. Probably one bit of her didn't believe it was all over now. Everything was going back to be okay with time.  
When the trio was preparing to join the rest of the students, staff, and everyone who fought the War and repair the damage done to the Castle and the Grounds, McGonagall stopped them.  
— Leave it to us. You rest now. You deserve it. There is still something to rebuild thanks to you. You three.  
Harry tried to argue, but he was too weak for that, and he knew that Minerva McGonagall was not easy to be convinced.  
They walked through the wreckage of Hogwarts.  
As they passed the living portraits cheered them, the new heroes of the Wizarding World.  
They stopped by the Headmaster's office, and the gargoyle let them in without asking for a password. But only Harry went in. Both Ron and Hermione decided to wait for him outside.  
Harry walked in, and the gargoyle closed the way before him.  
A portrait of Albus Dumbledore looked at him, as in a way to congratulate Potter to bring peace.  
He walked around the Headmaster's desk, which was filled with Snape's belongings. Harry noticed a half-open drawer with a written paper with a small box on top of it.  
He looked on Snape's portrait's eyes, muttered an apology, and held the paper. He noticed it was a letter, but, from whom could it be? He started reading it:  
"The news about Dumbledore's death are all around the Wizarding Community in Europe. I can't imagine how difficult it was for you to do what Dumbledore asked you to. You were brave, braver than I have ever been. I know you won't forgive me for running away, leaving Lilly to die." - Harry was caught by surprise. Whoever this was. He knew his parents. He regained focus and kept reading.  
"To had never returned. But I couldn't. You deep down know, I could not. But I don't expect you to feel different about me. I know you loved Lilly. I loved her too. Truly. I'm sorry I was not enough to save her. I wish I had died instead of her. But I had to be away, to keep Harry safe. I didn't ask Dearborn to use the Polyjuice Potion to look like me and die instead of me. He did it all behind my back. He told me to look for Sirius and bring him home before Voldemort reached our home. Wormtail had betrayed us. Remus never liked him, now I know why. He always asked me why I wanted him to be around us. I was wrong. As I was wrong to have mistreated you.  
Anyway, Harry is growing powerful than I ever was, or Lilly. Rumors and news about him are frequent here. I'm proud, as I know you are too. Does he remind you of me? I hope he does!  
Thank you for keeping him safe. I'll keep in touch. When this all ends, reach me. I can't tell you where I am through a letter, but I can say you find many of those specimens like in the box around here. You could use their poison to some potions.  
Goodbye for now. Hope to see you soon.  
Prongs."

Harry was shocked, he couldn't believe what he just read. Was it real? He didn't know how to feel. Happy for his father to be, apparently as alive as Harry himself, or angry as he left him at the hands of Voldemort? And never reached him. That idea was painful. He opened the box, and a corpse of a spider was lying there. Probably under a spell to preserve the body, as the inside of the box was rotting.  
He put the letter in the back pocket and holding the box, left the office.  
Hermione and Ron were there using the Repairing spell on many statues, doors, portraits, and walls around them.  
— Harry! — Ron shouted.  
The couple noticed something odd about their friend.  
— He's alive. My father. He's been alive all this time.  
— How? — Hermione was shocked. — Are you sure? Why didn't Dumbledore tell you anything?  
— I don't think he knew. My father, or someone calling themselves Prongs, exchanged letters to Snape.  
Ron was still suspicious of Snape even after every proof that he was on the right side. He was always mean to every student, sometimes even to Slytherins.  
— There was this letter with this box.  
Curious as he always has been, Ron picked the box, and as he was preparing to open it, Harry warned him that a dead spider was inside.  
Ron screamed and almost dropped the box before he realized it was, in fact, dead.  
— I hate spiders. — He said.  
— It's a Wasp Spider. — Hermione informed to anyone's surprise. She really knew everything. — It's pretty known in France. Do you think he is there?  
— Only one way to find out. I have to go there.  
— We'll go with you. — Ron said immediately, and Hermione agreed.  
— But... People here need you. I can't ask you to do that.  
— You're brave, but sometimes you're a little stubborn. You are not going alone, and that's it.  
Harry agreed. Deep inside, he knew he needed them around in case he finds his father. He doesn't know it is going to be.  
— Fine, we'll be going tomorrow morning.  
— Any idea of how we'll find him? — Ron asked.  
Harry didn't know how to answer that. He didn't think about that. — Beauxbatons! — Hermione shouted.  
Harry and Ron looked at her, waiting for her to talk.  
— The French School, Fleur, attended that school. — Fleur was the wife of Bill Weasley, one of Ron's older brothers. — They probably know where to find him.  
— But.... he's your father, if he was alive probably Dumbledore would find him... Right?  
— Unless he used a different name, someone from the Order. The letter mentions someone called Dearborn. — Harry suggested.  
— Caradoc Dearborn! I read about him. Apparently, he's been resting outside the English Community of Wizards. Do you think...  
— It's him. — The real Dearborn died instead of my father. He used a Polyjuice Potion.  
— Let's go then. One more adventure. — Ron happily said. But the rest of the group didn't seem to share the same excitement as him.  
Despite being nervous, Harry, alongside Ron and Hermione, slept through the whole night. It has been hard times, and they were exhausted.  
The morning after, and after many times trying to spell the name correctly, the gang used Floo Powder to travel to France and ended up in a fireplace in the Magic School of Beauxbatons, which was built in the Pyrenees Mountains. Even though it was their first time stepping foot there, everyone seemed to know them. Probably Fleur told how that Triwizard Tournament went utterly wrong, and it was the stage where Cedric Diggory died, and Voldemort returned.  
Amazed by how different the Castle looked from Hogwarts, they looked for Olympe Maxime, the Headmaster. Being a half-giant witch made it easier to find her.  
— Harry Potter and his friends! — What a surprise it is to see you here! — Maxime smiled at them as they backed away in fear of being knocked down.  
— We're looking for my f... We're looking for information on the whereabouts of Caradoc Dearborn. And we believe he's established in the Community of your country.  
— Monsieur Dearborn? Ah oui. I know where he is. Poor guy, they say he went lunatic after the Potters and the Longbottoms were attacked. I don't think he'll be useful for anything due to his condition.  
— We feel it's worth the shot, Headmaster. — Hermione commented.  
He lives on the top of the Pyrenees. Only a magical being can notice the house. Did you bring your brooms?  
— Bloody hell, we forgot out brooms! — Ron shouted.  
— I'll borrow you, Becky. — Maxime announced.  
— Becky? Excuse me, who Becky is? — Harry asked, confused.  
— The hippogriff that Rubeus offered me when we met three years ago.  
— Thank you. — Harry looked at his friends, they were near to discover the other side of the story.  
— I'll meet you outside the gates.  
— Thank you very much — The group said.  
They met the Headmaster of Beauxbatons, and she had the company of Becky, a silver hippogriff, larger than Buckbeak was.  
Being wizards, they used a charm to make it possible to breathe clearly on the top of the Pyrenees.  
— Alright, let's do this. — Harry said. The two friends were silent but nodded.  
— Take care of this beauty, she's very calm. But you'll need to bow. Hagrid told me how you did it with Buckbeak, so you'll be just fine.  
Harry took a bow to the beast before him and waited. It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, she returned the gesture.  
The three climbed to the animal's back, and soon they were up in the air.  
There was no sign of muggles around as they flew.  
The trip was short. In a matter of minutes, the hippogriff landed on the mountains, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione got off.  
— You okay, Harry? — Hermione asked, concerned.  
— I don't know, Hermione.  
— You got us. — Ron said.  
— I know. Thanks. — Harry smiled and looked around. There it was. A smile.  
— I'll go ahead. — Hermione announced. — He won't recognize me.  
— No. He probably knows about you. About the two of you. It's not like we're unknown...  
— I guess you're right. — Hermione stopped.  
— So, Hermione can be wrong too. Wicked! — Ron joked, but his girlfriend looked threatening at him.  
Harry ignored the joke as he probably didn't listen to it. The wizard was lost in thoughts while looking at the small house.  
It was too simple. Probably was living a lonely, sad life since Lilly was murdered. Since the night, Harry became a part of Voldemort.  
— Let's knock on the door and see what happens.  
Harry did it, and then they waited.  
— Who is it? — The man asked from inside.  
The group was silent, but suddenly, Harry spoke.  
— Are you Prongs?  
— Wh... Who? I don't... I don't know who that was.  
Please go away, I'm tired.  
— Professor Snape is dead. We know about the letter. — Harry said. Hermione was holding his arm, firmly, try to make him shut up, but didn't work.  
— Professor...? Severus is dead? — The silence was sudden, and then the noise of the lock echoed. The door slowly opened.  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron expected to see a man with yellow eyes and a long beard, but they didn't. They saw a man who could well be the future version of Harry Potter himself. But he wasn't. Standing right in front of them was James Potter, who was presumed dead for 17 years.  
— Hello, son. — He said, wearing a weak smile.  
Harry pushed the door away and hugged his father tight. Tears streamed down his face. Words seemed to come out of the teen's mouth, but all the crying made it hard to understand.  
— I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't say a thing. — James said, now also in tears. —I had to keep you safe. If Voldemort knew I was alive, he would use it against you, and many more people would be in danger.  
— But... But... I saw your ghost... In the Forbidden Forest. With the Resurrection Stone — Harry said while rubbing his eyes with his right hand.  
— You saw what your heart needed to see back then. You see, the Resurrection Stone has one weakness.  
— What weakness?  
— Love, Harry, love. It's strong enough to give back life, but it's connected to the heart of the person who's holding it. And you wanted to see the people you lost.  
Harry was silent. He looked at his father's eyes. There was still so much to ask.  
— There isn't a day I didn't think about you or your mom. I miss her every day. She would have been proud of you. Of the man you're becoming. I assume you have doubts. I must answer your questions. I owe it to you.  
— What happened? The night Voldemort tried to kill me.  
— Caradoc Dearborn, as I'm sure you already know, was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a close friend to your mom and me. He told me that Wormtail gave away our location to Voldemort and that I should reach Sirius, your Godfather, as fast as possible so we could try to stop him from harming us. From hurting you especially. He wanted to get us some time, but when I tried to find Sirius, it was already too late. Pettigrew turned into a mouse, and Sirius was framed for his murder.  
I ran home and found Caradoc lying on the floor, with his eyes open, but dead. I was there long enough to see him turn from my appearance to his real looks. But aside from you, there was someone else in the house.  
— Professor Snape. — Hermione, who was as shocked as Ron and Harry, said.  
— Exactly. — James nodded.  
— So, after all this time, Snape knew about you? — Harry asked.

— Yes. — His father replied. — And if that was possible, he would have hated me more. And I asked him to keep my situation a secret. For Lilly. You know, Snape was...  
— In love with my mother, I know. — Harry interrupted coldly.  
— He couldn't accept that she was gone and I wasn't there to protect her. It was love that made him turn to Dark Lord and was also love that took him out of his power.  
— What do you mean?  
— Snape was in love with Lilly since we were kids. And the fact she didn't share the same feelings made him bitter, but always in love with her, but Voldemort was able to use the bitterness in Snape's heart to lead him to the Dark side. But as soon as he learned that Voldemort was planning to kill us, he warned Dumbledore and turned against Voldemort. Until his death.  
Severus was a douche, but he meant no real harm...  
— Did he, though? — Ron asked, in disbelief. — He was evil to us all through the years.  
— He did keep me safe sometimes. — Harry confessed.  
— Because both Dumbledore and I asked him to. — James said.  
It kills me slowly, to know that I won't see Lily, Snape, and Sirius again... Is Remus safe?  
The group didn't answer for a while.  
Did... Did he die?  
— Yes. — Hermione said with a low voice.  
— Thank you, son. For finishing what we should have ended a long time ago. Deep in my heart, I always knew you could do it.  
— Were you planning on reaching me? — Harry asked, looking straight into his father's eyes.  
— I eventually would ask Severus to tell you the story, since...  
— Since what? — Harry interrupted. —What happened?  
I'm dying. I'm not going to be around much longer, son.  
— Why? — A fresh tear was rolling through Harry's face once more.  
Poisoning — James said he started coughing. — One of the Death Eaters got to me while I was under the influence of the Polyjuice Potion and looked like Dearborn, and he tried to force me to... — Another cough, this time with blood and James loses strength on his legs and falls with his back on the wall. Harry and Ron try to catch him.  
— Better lay him on a chair. — Hermione said.  
— Yeah. — Harry agrees, and he and Ron lead him to a green chair, which was near the window.  
— How do you feel? — Harry asked, worried.  
— Super. I have the chance to spend my final moments with you. I have the opportunity to see you grown up. I'm so proud of you. I hope you can forgive me someday.  
— I forgive you, dad. — Harry holds his hand. — I understand you did it to keep me safe and to keep Voldemort from torture and kill more innocents. — His voice starts to tremble as he feels his father weaker as seconds pass.  
— You'll always be my boy. And you'll always be a Potter.  
Find yourself a good woman, and make it the best life you ever had.  
— I did. Ginny. You'd like her. Mom would too. — He said.  
— I'm sure I would. No more hiding now. No more secrets. I'm almost in the arms of the woman I've ever loved. And I'm going happy. Thank you, son. I love you. — James closed his eyes, and lips were still smiling.  
Harry Potter leaned on his father's lap and cried his heart out while Ron was consoling Hermione in his arms.  
James Potter was finally in peace after a life of hiding. James Potter was dead, but the magical world was safe.


End file.
